5 Ways to Live Your Life Up The Mood Elevator

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New Book Giveaway!!

Leave a comment on this guest post by Dr. Larry Senn to become eligible to win one of TWENTY complimentary copies of The Mood Elevator.(Deadline: 8/26/2017)

*Eligibility limited to the Continental U.S.

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Life works when we are on the higher floors of The Mood Elevator like curious, resourceful and grateful.

Life doesn’t go as well when we are on the lower floors like worried, insecure and depressed.

Here are 5 ways you can spend more time toward the top of the Mood Elevator and limit the damage you do to yourself and others when you drop down to the lower floors. (see image below)

Take better care of yourself. Life always looks better after a good night’s sleep or a great workout and shower. We catch colds more easily when we are run down, we catch moods more easily when we not are at our best physically too.

Hang around people who tend to live life on the higher floors. Moods are contagious. Ditch friends or minimize time with those who have gotten off the elevator, moved in and furnished lower floors like irritated, judgmental, blaming and complaining.

Try a “pattern interrupt”. Our thinking creates our mood – worried thinking creates worried feelings. Thus, if you can change your thinking it will change your feelings. Take a walk, call a friend, get lost in book – whatever works for you.

Count your blessings daily. Gratitude is the express button on the Mood Elevator. Practice being grateful for even the smallest things like a good meal or a hug from a loved one.

Proceed with caution when on the lower floors. Your thinking is almost always unreliable. This is what happens when you say something you wish you could take back or when you send a rude email.

Living up the Mood Elevator isn’t just about feeling good. Our thinking is clearer and wiser and we are more successful too.

Larry Senn:

Dr. Larry Senn is often called the “father of corporate culture,” due in large part to his 1970 doctoral dissertation. In 1978, he founded Senn Delaney, the culture shaping unit of Heidrick & Struggles, and has led culture-shaping engagements for dozens of Fortune 500 companies, members of two U.S. president’s cabinets, and major universities. Senn shares his insight as a keynote speaker and through his writings. His newest book is The Mood Elevator (August 2017).

I like the part about distancing myself from circles that are on the lower level. If I am on that level I always see it start to seep into the way I act and respond. When I feel myself get on the middle or lower floors, I like to make sure I am using positive language. “How are you today?” “GREAT”. Even when I am not feeling great it tends to push me that way.

Why does it seem like when we’re stuck on the “lower floors” that sending an email is almost the perfect option everytime? I’ve caught myself many times halfway through an email only to stop, let it go, and revisit later. Amazing the difference in my tone and what I’m saying when I wait until the elevator has “gone up a couple floors”. Great post for mid week. Thank you.

This hits home for me – our company went through Senn Delaney unfreezing sessions a few years back and the Mood Elevator is still referenced daily. It’s a great way to do a self-check on where you’re at and then determine how to move up if you’re not where you need to be to be productive and a positive influence. It’s also a great concept that everyone can easily understand and reference in conversations to hold one another accountable to stay curious and avoid the lower floors.

I would enjoy reading this book. I believe it helps to get out of the stories we create in our heads and look at the reality of things. Simply shifting your focus to your surroundings and feeling air on your skin, appreciating the latest meal you ate etc. is a step to getting on the up elevator.

It is absolutely crystal clear as we look around to see how a person’s mood will change , challenge or lift an environment -especially in a work place . As leaders we must be mindful to check our own moods as we enter our place of business and model the way for our staff even when we may not be feeling it….

I love this “Try a “pattern interrupt”. Our thinking creates our mood – worried thinking creates worried feelings.” do something nice for someone, even a small thing that will make someone you don’t even know smile changes your own mood.

I’ve made it a daily habit to write down three things I’m thankful/grateful for each morning…even before my cup of coffee. My outlook is set before I hit the office doors. And love the “take a walk” advice – nothing like a dose of sunshine and an endorphin boost to create a positive mood.

As so often happens, this topic comes just when both personally and professionally I’ve been talking to people who have taken an abrupt drop to the lower floors! It’s so critically important to have family, friends, and work colleagues who allow you to express your frustrations and concerns — but who then can gently remind you of your own worth, play out options, and quietly try and lean on a higher floor button on that elevator. I’ve luckily had people who do that for me — and when I can — I do it for them. A good, reasonable, honest support system is everything! Keep these topics coming!

My organization has embraced the mood elevator language – I’ve only been here a year and I love it too. I am actively coaching others who are “below the line” to commit to sticking with difficult conversations until we are at least curious.

These points are so so true and ultimately affect how we reverberate in our own little (and big) worlds. The higher floors help grow the sphere of influence and generousity of spirit while the lower floors turn us into Gollum! Great info!

This is outstanding! And timely, and humbling…I think my floor has been going down and this message tells me exactly why, and predicts what I am already experiencing as a result. When I allow myself down a rabbit-hole of frustration, it permits my secretary and my colleagues, and those I serve to ride the car down with me – not fair to them! When I was a classroom teacher, I could see the same phenomenon -how I started my day determined the mood of the class for the rest of it, so I determined to start with a smile and positivity, regardless of how I was feeling. It mattered- thanks for the reminder! This also dovetails perfectly with my morning study on humility v anxiety (I Pet 5:6-7).
Mirrors are great for both good- and bad-hair days— thanks Dan for holding up the mirror every day for us!

Larry’ perspective is “spot on”….the mood elevator is a great depiction of the wide range of emotions …with the invitation to move to curious to enable more productive conversations around “thorny” relationship challenges…

We use the Senn/Delaney model here for Culture and have engrained the Mood Elevator into the corporate psyche. I am, by nature, anxious and worried, and have always found that releasing that anxiety to be curious and interested is the best start to any interaction with another…and with myself, actually! Thank you for featuring this here! As a society, we all need to (re-learn how to) be curious, interested, and flexible before being judgmental, defensive and self-righteous.

Have gone thru the Sean Delaney culture journey with my company. Mood Elevator is one of the most powerful elements of the program. Our companies culture has changed for the good because of the program. I realize my mood affects the people I lead. I have to be mindful of which floor i am on daily.

“Bing” Going up? Getting on the elevator and riding up a few floors right now. Even if I’ve gotta take the stairs, to lead like I want to and produce like I want to gotta head for the penthouse everyday.

I keep a gratitude journal in Evernote and I’ve found that it really helps elevate my mood when I start feeling stuck on the lower floors. Perspective is everything, and a grateful perspective will meet me where my expectations fail me.

Somewhere I heard to ‘bring the weather with you’. Meaning people are happy on a sunny day and down on a cloudy day, just bring the weather with you, or remember that just above the clouds there is a big bright sun!

The simple concepts highlighted in this piece are fundamental to positive growth and change. I constantly encounter colleagues whose mood elevator appears to be more like a roller coaster. As a professional development trainer this resource would be a key for providing relevant training for them.

I also received Ken Blanchard’s weekly email this morning which talked about the value of solitude in thinking clearer and wiser. I’ll make that point #6 above, and I have a great list of counsel to continue cultivating. I’m generally strong on gratitude. I want to build more strength in the area of the people I hang around with, but I am moving in the right direction on that front too. Thanks Dr. Senn.

Moods are certainly contagious, even more so than colds passed around in daycare. When I’m finding myself on the lower levels of mood, I focus on spending time with those who naturally have an elevated mood and that alone increases my energy. Nothing is worse than a bad mood spread around the work team and without a concentrated effort and dedicated individuals, it seems near impossible to raise the team. I like the graphic because it serves as a reminder that practicing the behaviors of the upper levels is fruitful in elevating the mood!

Great post! I printed the mood elevator and am hanging for a daily reminder.
Lately I’ve been researching books on company culture. With a sibling that is CIO for a renowned university and another sibling CFO for a mid-sized company, both have different views on the importance of culture. Having worked in places that ranged on both ends of the spectrum, company culture is crucial and it starts with each individual employee!

Gratitude is the ultimate mood. There is no greater feeling than gratitude – there is also no great challenge than to get to a place of gratitude with so many temptations for more, better, greater. I love the mood elevator concept, it resonates with me.

There is excellent “tie in” and correlation here to PTSD and the emergency responders (fire, police, EMS) to use as an excellent training tool. Certainly the mood elevator should be watched and monitored in our team members for evaluating engagement and their level of productivity. The additional benefit of using it as a barometer for psychological health and wellness offers our officers and managers another tool that they can watch over and evaluate those so vital to our line of work and the safety of others. Thanks for the excellent thoughts in the blog today.

You do not know how much I needed this post! I keep saying I do not know if it was a shift in the atmosphere from the eclipse or what but I have really been on that lower floor the past two weeks! I appreciate the message and try to live on the higher floor, however because I am human and at times am pressured from many directions, I need reminders too. I cannot thank you enough for this reminder. I will be posting the The mood Elevator on my wall!

What a great word picture – going to share this with my family! Thinking that with lots of family gatherings coming up, that even the knowledge that some have chosen to ‘hop off and furnish the lower floors’ helps give understanding to where they are at and is a great reminder that the rest of us can remain on the elevator and get to higher ground!

Thanks for the article. Your Mood Elevator is a great way to explain and illustrate this incredibly important idea of how we are able to move our mood and affect not only ourselves, but others. Looking forward to reading your book.

The article focused on our personal mood elevators; that is how we can spend more time toward the top of the Mood Elevator and limit the damage we do to ourselves and others when we drop down to the lower floors. My sense is that managing our mood elevators does more than provide an escape from damaging ourselves and others. It enables us to help others move to higher floors as well. We may need to minimize time with others on lower floors and proceed with caution, but we shouldn’t abandon those who need the most help.

I agree that it is vital to not abandon those who need the most help. When we engage in this culture-changing activity it is even more vital that we have voices around us that keep us focused on the higher levels. Don Clifton (SRI/Gallup Organization) told the story of the dipper and the bucket. Each person has a bucket of emotional resource. Criticism dips into the bucket and leaves us with less to share with others. Praise and encouragement adds to the bucket and our capacity to elevate the culture around us. Healthy people give and receive.

This is a great reminder and a good visual to think about where and how we want to live. One thing I’ve been reading a lot about is what you call the pattern interrupt. This is so important. Thanks for the post

It’s true that your mood is contagious. Every day when you wake up in the morning you decide how your day will go – it’s all about mood. If something tough comes up on your day, your mood will affect how you handle it.

This is a fantastic concept. It really is easy to forget how important your mood is. Keeping a good exercise and sleep routine helps a lot but so does proactively focusing on positive observations. Good Stuff! Thanks!

Just traveled 2000 miles with my 24-year-old son to see the full eclipse in Columbia, MO. Clouds parted to give a perfect view. Spent 2 nights during the trip with my aging parents and ate full-blown Southern breakfast (Mom’s cooking). Enjoying a leisurely drive with my son back home to return to work tomorrow fully charged…mood elevator at the top floor. So thankful to still have my parents. Thankful for a son who wants to spend time with his dad. So grateful to have witnessed the full eclipse. Fantastic “pattern interrupt”!

Love this! Did I say love this!!!! Especially number 2. Who we hang out with will often determine our mood! But also changing things up is so important. Americans need their moods elevated right now alright. Thank you for this inspiration

Good stuff Dan! It is a great reminder to me that no one is responsible for my mood–good or bad–except me; and there are many things that i can do to move my mood up the elevator. It is all dependent on choices I make about events that occur, how I care for myself, and how I relate with others.

This is something of which spouses should be aware. What’s the mood of your husband or wife? How can you encourage that other person? Try not to contribute to a down mood, but lighten the mood and bring encouragement.

My father used to tell me, ” you can’t soar with eagles, if you flock with turkeys!” I try to remember this when others are trying to drag me down. I like to reference to the mood elevator, it is a great reminder that we choose how we look at the world. Thanks for sharing.

I loved this post. Simple, achievable strategies to create a culture (at home or at work!) that is more enjoyable for you and everyone else around you! Simple truths can have a big impact, I’ve already used #5 today……

We really are more alike than different – why is it so easy to stay on the ground floors? I love this analogy! Thanks so much for the opportunity for a ‘free read’ on a great subject. Have a Penthouse Day!!

For me, mood seems like a cycle. I have days where it easy to push that “up” button, and days where the up button seems broken.

Moods are contagious is an important point; maybe the strongest point. On those days where it seems the up button is broken, it is easy to overlook those that are in a good mood and only notice the bad.

Yoga and/or meditation along with working out are good for the first point.

Love the advice and reminder – “Proceed with caution when on the lower floors. Your thinking is almost always unreliable.” Staying in the upper floors takes daily devotion to yourself and staying in service to others. When I find myself having negative thoughts and speaking them out loud to others, that’s my trigger to start hyping up the self care and finding the path back to the upper floors!

“Ditch friends or minimize time with those who have gotten off the elevator, moved in and furnished lower floors like irritated, judgmental, blaming and complaining.” Not easy, especially when they are people you like, and people you have worked with a long time, but very true!

What a great concept! I daily find myself looking for the positive when a situation arises that could take me down the “mood elevator.” Typically stopping to think about the other side of the coin or looking for that ray of sunshine through the clouds can keep me on the higher floors!

Let’s ride the elevator Dan! We are all convicts of our moods, funny I was just thinking time for book give away and “Bam”, “you heard my thoughts”! Wow, based on the days when we have had 2 or 3 people responding, out comes the book and WaH LaH! Everybody’s chiming in!
Seriously your advice and recommendations are on point as always.
have a great Day! 🙂

If you listen to too much of the news today, you’ll find a lot of those lower level people on the news and IN the news. They seem to love to wallow on the lower levels described above. However, if they turned their brains into being more creative, innovative, hopeful, optimistic, adaptive, there would be more “good news” stories than “bad news” stories on the news and their communities would be a better place to live. In a time where the news is judgmental and filled with anxiety, I know that I can get to a higher place, be effective at my workplace and make a real difference to my family by NOT listening to the news.

I agree AvaO. I listen to just enough news to prevent me from being the proverbial ostrich with head in sand but not enough to keep me angry and depressed. The media’s finger is super glued to the “elevator down” button and I refuse to take the ride. Excellent point!

What a wonderful piece of advise. When the daily corporate or personal battles seem to put us on edge, this is a great tool to rise above the fray and think forward in a positive way. Our blessings are all the good things that we are, and the good things that we can do. Great advise. Thank you.

Feel like in particular today, I should print these tips and tape them every possible place I can see them. I’d love to read a copy of this book, always looking for strategies and techniques to improve my mood.

What a helpful way of visualizing how our moods impact us and others around us. I shared this with our customer service manager and we discussed how we could use the information with others in order to have a helpful approach on encouraging co-workers (& ourselves) to keep our mood at a higher and more productive level.

When my elevator is on a downward trend, I make a point of visiting my “Feel Good Folder” to kick start upward momentum. Its a bright yellow folder I keep on my desk that is labeled “Feel Good” (hence the name) and contains notes from colleagues and clients along with quotes and other off the beaten path references that advances the smile on my face that had been in full retreat. I think I’ll grab the author’s “pattern interrupt” term to describe this action in the future when my peers ask about my jaundice folder.

I purchased and took over a small company in January that I had been working for, and the mood elevator can’t ring any more true. With office of 4 total employees including myself, when just one person is in the basement or the top floor it is felt throughout. As the leader, I have realized how important it is to keep my moods positive, although that is not always easy.

Wow! Everything in the post rings so true to my own experiences.
I chose to Live Up the Mood Elevator over 3 years ago when it was announced that our owner was selling to another company. I knew Right then that to “Live Up” meant that I needed to do all I could to get as many others on the elevator and out of the basement of despair and fear. I utilized #3 “pattern interrupt” often, using Leadership Freak and Audible books to stabilize my days, weeks and months. #1 was difficult, as I was working feverishly to keep the morale up, and apocalyptic views, squashed within the company. # 5 was a killer though. I watch coworkers commit company suicide as they spouted off and spewed forth their frustrations, only to realize too late their haste when things began to turn around (credibility lost). The most important one of all was, you guessed it, #4. “Count Your Blessings Daily” Live and Act as if you are blessed and grateful, and others WILL notice. What they notice will get them to take their first step into the Mood Elevator. After that, you can show them the pretty buttons that will take them UP to the higher floors. It’s been hard and it’s been long, but it is now worth every bit of struggle. I even created a saying from the whole ordeal that summed it all up for me.
“Successful is the one with
Self Discipline to take
Deliberate Action
Consistently”

I Liked #5. Proceed with caution when on the lower floors. Your thinking is almost always unreliable. This is what happens when you say something you wish you could take back or when you send a rude email. I have so many times typed out emails then left them until the next day to send and then not sent them wondering “what was i thinking about when i wrote this email!” this is so right, you cannot take back hurtful words. With emails once you send them are very hard to get back and then they are permanent reminders of how mean you can be.

I like the way you said “it takes time”. Made me think of what we do while impatiently waiting for an actual elevator that refuses to come… Push the button again and again! More “Thank You’s. More reminders of blessings. More sharing compliments with others. Give it a try while you wait. It feels good even if the elevator doesn’t actually move faster.

As our workplace morphs into a shiny, more functional organization, I am being mindful of the importance of hope for something better…attitude is so important during times of rapid change. This should be a good read to support people during those kind of turbulence…

This visualization is applicable on so many levels, actually with any age group. It can even be
referenced when working with students. It reenforces the concept that while we have NO
control over the actions of others, we DO have control over our OWN actions and
REACTIONS. Attitude shapes our world while gratitude enriches it.

Like the article over all. This is my favorite blog.
Really don’t like the thought of ditching people which have bad moods though.See this advice often and think we kill relationships with it. Important to have a balance though.
How do you get out of a negative spiral if your positive friends ditch you?

“Gratitude is the express button on the Mood Elevator. Practice being grateful” – I make every Thursday be “Thankful Thursday”. A note of something positive is sent out to someone. Those notes are often things you tweet. Someone is getting this article today (Th Aug 24). Great stuff. Thanks!

Great insight! As an elementary principal, the next step for me is to put systems and structures in place that allow teachers to identify kids that are near the bottom of the elevator then take deliberate steps to get them to ride the elevator to the top. Thanks!

# 2 really hit home to me. I have been growing in my Leadership Development for the past several years and have noticed recently in my circle of friends those whose negatively or ambivalence I am moving away from. I also printed the characteristics chart at the end of the article to keep on my desk as a reference. It feels like awareness is a big part of the battle and I want to stay on the higher floors.

Live in and swim in and bathe in GRATITUDE! So many rich blessings around most everyone. Take a moment to breathe them in and understand how fortunate we are, even in the crisis of work, we are blessed!

This is so timely. I’m finding myself falling into this rut of listening and joining the dooms-dayers. Which makes it hard to be optimistic. But one has to work to change their mood and it’s better for everyone. Great post and definitely going to make changes going forward.

I agree- an attitude of gratitude is a key component in cultivating a lifelong focus that is positive and joyful. Encouraging colleagues & those you lead to adopt this mindset is a key leadership attribute.

The elevator is a great metaphor for where our mood happens to be, we need to be reminded to push the button to the up. It’s painful to watch someone ruin their day because they are choosing to be the victim of their bad mood.

Thanks to all of you for your responses on my Mood Elevator blog. Many agreed with idea of staying up the elevator by not hanging around “downers,” Others rightfully questioned the advice as they saw it meant ditching people who may need them.
So let me clarify. No don’t abandon friends and loved ones that are down, But know that you can’t help someone else’s mood if you are down there with them. You have to take care of yourself first like on an airplane when they say put your own oxygen mask on before helping your child.
This applies to important people in your life. If you are just hanging out with people who take you down – find another crowd.

I was recently introduced to the Mood Elevator and find it quite fascinating! As a certified coach this information is incredibly useful! I now have a way of explaining what is going on and how to counteract it. I am anxious to look further into Larry’s work and learn more.

What a great article, gets right to the point in a few words. Our mood can make or break our day and we have the power to control it. With practicing gratitude as well as the othe r tips in this article, we can be well on our way to a more productive day!

Great post. I try to use a catch and release strategy. When I catch myself on a lower floor, I release the tension by physical activity, sleep, and better nutrition. Amazing how many floors you can go up with a day or two of paying extra attention to and reinforcing positive behaviors.

As a new assistant principal, I used truths from this blog countless times with my team of 30 teachers. While I’ve benefited tremendously from the posts, it has been icing on the cake to see the impact of Leadership Freak on my team as they work to lead their students to succeed. I can’t wait to share the Mood Elevator concept with my team as I can already envision the difference it’s going to make!

I love the idea of a mood elevator! I have worked to develop a habit of gratitude for the past 2 years and continue to need reminders – habits are hard to build! I would love to read more about other ways to improve my mood and thinking. Positive self-talk seems logical and likely something I need to work on too. Can’t wait to read your book!